


Altruism's Consequences

by TMar



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Aliens Made Them Do It, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-15
Updated: 2018-11-15
Packaged: 2019-08-24 03:03:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16631657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TMar/pseuds/TMar
Summary: Picard and Beverly's relationship gets a push from some unknown aliens.





	Altruism's Consequences

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome once more to Tropes On Parade. Aliens make them do it (or at least make them realise their love). 
> 
> This story appeared in "Naked Now One" in 1992. I have edited it slightly.

ALTRUISM’S CONSEQUENCES

The aliens had been dormant for so long, they were all surprised when they awoke. The universe had changed in the millennia since they had withdrawn from the timestream,  
moving on its journey from chaos to order and back to chaos again. Many little insignificant things had changed, many things too small for bothering with... except the aliens had always taken an interest in trivia.

They noticed that several new stars had been born since their withdrawal, several had died, many now had oribiting planets, and many of these orbiting planets now contained civilizations which had reached out into space.

Space itself was different - many little ships now travelled at great speeds through the deep darkness, containing many tiny little life forms. These life forms interested the aliens very much - trivial though they were, they lived and died with great passion and conviction, and impressed their watchers.

***

Captain Jean-Luc Picard sat in his ready room reading some boring reports. But it had to be done, ship's business, blah blah blah. Finally he looked up to see that the ship had come out of warp so that Geordi LaForge could do some quick maintenance checks on the dilithium crystal integrator. Perhaps he'd go down and check, and then do some reading...

He was almost to the door when he looked out of the viewport again. Waitaminit. The stars were not moving at all - usually, on impulse, the stars drifted by slowly, beautifully, impressively. But they were at a dead stop in space. Picard went onto the bridge, where his crew were also just now noticing this. "Report, Number One," he immediately said.

"We've been out of warp for three minutes, Captain. But suddenly the stars just stopped. We're frozen in space."

"Cause?" he asked automatically, though he knew that they couldn't possibly have identified it that quickly.

"It's not us, Sir. Some external force is holding us here."

Again? The captain thought this but did not say it. "Nothing you've done has had any effect?"

"Exactly."

"Then we must assume there are aliens out there somewhere who want to have a look at us."

"I concur," agreed his First Officer.

So they waited.

Dr. Selar was in Sickbay supervising the replicating of medical supplies when she saw the other doctor start. "Dr. Crusher? Are you all right?"

"What? Oh. I thought... it doesn't matter. I... I felt... it's probably nothing." She shook her head and carried on with what she was doing.

Vulcans were telepathic and slightly empathic, and suddenly Selar looked up. "We're not alone."

"What?"

"There are... others."

Counselor Deanna Troi was saying the same thing to the captain. "Can you tell me any more, Counselor?"

"I'm not sure. I feel... something, but I'm not sure what it is." Her face became very intense for a moment, then she looked back at the captain. "They're very old and wise, and kind. But there's something else... I don't know what."

Beverly Crusher started again, and this time Selar came forward to steady her. "Are you all right, Beverly?"

"Did you hear it?" Beverly inquired.

"Hear what?"

"It sounded like a voice. It asked... well I guess it doesn't matter. I'm fine. You carry on."

Selar reluctantly turned away, and Beverly, unnoticed, smiled to herself. She had clearly heard a voice ask what the most important thing in the universe was - to humanity, that is. The doctor considered. Freedom? Family? No. She knew what she valued. "Love," she whispered, and disappeared.

"Beverly!" called the Vulcan doctor, rushing forward. "Selar to bridge. Doctor Crusher has just vanished."

Riker's voice came over the communicator, sounding not too pleased at all. "So has the captain."

"There are aliens here, aren't there, Commander?"

"Yeah, I think so," said Riker. 

Deanna's voice came in, agreeing. "They're not hostile, just curious."

"But why take the captain and the doctor?" asked Selar.

"You got me there," replied Riker.

***

As Picard vanished from the bridge, he felt as if he were falling through a wonderful, weightless starfield. His mind was assaulted by myriad images of people he'd known, things he'd done: the Stargazer... Janice... Jack Crusher saying, in that sardonic tone, "Come on, give it a go!"... Beverly Crusher shyly holding a tiny baby out to him... Wesley Crusher all wet stepping out of the Holodeck... Beverly saying, "I find you extremely... extremely... of course we haven't time for that!"... Wesley wearing his red Starfleet uniform, standing at the door to the bridge... Vash asking if she was really trouble... Q landing on the bridge naked... Worf protesting that his father was not a traitor... an image of Tasha Yar talking to Guinan (but Tasha never knew Guinan!)... Beverly Crusher leaning over him telling him he was too sick to get up, her hand resting on his chest, so warmly...

Then he was standing in what appeared to be a French farmhouse, hearing birds chirp.

Doctor Beverly Crusher had the same experience: images of her past life imprinted themselves on her senses again, reminding her of all things gone past. Medical school and Dr. Quaice... meeting Jack... meeting Jean-Luc... reading the first scans on her unborn baby... shyly holding Wesley out to Picard... Picard's reaction ("I'm not good at this")... Picard's face when he brought Jack's body home... Picard protesting that he wasn't ill... one kiss with a Picard-who-wasn't...seeing how proud Picard was of her son...

And Beverly too found herself standing in the same French farmhouse, listening to birds chirp.

She was in a large lounge with a fireplace, some very comfy-looking chairs and a coffee table. There was a door at one end. Seeing it, the doctor ran towards it and yanked it open, only to collide with a kind of force field in front of the door.

The captain had also tried that - looked around the kitchen, run for the door, and collided with the field. Both had the idea that maybe there was another door, so they ran through an inner door and collided with each other.

"Beverly!"

"Jean-Luc!"

Both tried to talk at the same time. Finally Picard said, "There seems to be a force field all the way round."

"Try the windows," suggested Beverly. Both tried to open the windows, but these would not budge. Outside there was only blue - no ground to be seen, or even the birds they could hear, there was only a sky blue and the house.

"Picard to Enterprise." Naturally, that avenue of escape wasn't working either.

Together, the Enterprise officers walked into the farmhouse lounge, acknowledging that they wouldn't get away until the aliens who had brought them there allowed it.

They intended to sit there and stare at the walls, but the aliens had other ideas.

The aliens looked at the couple, sitting on opposite chairs, and were sad. *We do a good thing for them, and they refuse it,* said one.

*Perhaps they do not know their own minds. We should help them recognise their inner selves.*

*Agreed.*

Picard was suddenly overcome by the sensation that his life was slipping away - no love, no wife, no continuation of himself to go on in the world. And he was seized by the idea that Beverly Crusher was the person he was intended for. He found himself noticing everything about her - that soft, red hair (he assumed it was soft and would have liked to find out), those blue, blue eyes, the way she sat an the chair, even the way she held  
ler hands on her lap, waiting... And he clearly heard a voice in his head, saying, 'Ask her about Wesley.'

"What?" He looked around. No one was there except Beverly. But the voice said, 'Wesley. The truth about Wesley.'

Beverly was looking at him, full of roncern. "Jean-luc?"

"I thought I heard... probably not."

But Beverly had felt the same things: her life was slipping away, and Jack was gone. This man was here, so why didn't she do... something? She found herself remembering how she had tended him when he was ill... and looked at him now, sitting there so tense, his brow furrowed in oh-so-cute concentration and irritation! She loved him so much, she realised. Wasn't that why she had asked for the assignment on the Enterprise? Of course it was. Then a voice in her head said, "Tell him about Wesley."

She was used to hearing that voice. It had to be the aliens. Beverly sat up dead straight and replied, "No!"

"What?" from Picard.

"Nothing."

"Tell him the truth."

"No!"

"What?"

"I thought... it doesn't matter, Jean-Luc."

"It matters," decided Picard. These aliens knew something he didn't, something Beverly did. He must know what it was.

"You heard a voice too. What did it say?"

"Nothing of importance."

"Wesley. The truth about Wesley."

Picard knew he'd hit on something when Beverly's face drained of all its colour and she bit her lip. Hard. "There's nothing to say."

"Don't lie to me, Doctor."

"Jean-Luc, please! Trust me. There's nothing to say."

"What about Wesley?"

But the doctor only looked down and shook her head. "No." She was remembering a day when she had taken a picnic basket and intended to meet Jack in the park, in a little secluded area that few people frequented. Jack couldn't make it, and had sent his best friend. Beverly wished she could take that day back. 'I refused to believe he was yours,' she thought. 'I just couldn't. But every day, I believe more that he is.'

"Tell me the truth," persisted the captain, authority in his voice.

"I... I didn't want to believe it, Jean-Luc. We said... we promised each other never to mention that day again. I put it out of my mind, but when Wesley was born... I guess I always knew, I just refused to believe it."

Picard's shock was almost palpable. "Wesley is my son?" 

Beverly only nodded.

"And you never said anything?"

She was crying now. "What was there to say? Jack believed... and Wesley believes Jack is his father... I will not tell him!"

But Picard was no longer listening. Suddenly, all his feelings for Wesley made a lot more sense. The child he'd allowed on the bridge. The teenager he'd promoted to full Ensign. The young man he'd almost died saving from a rockfall. His son, whom he loved.

Beverly got up and went into another room - the bedroom, as it turned out. Picard followed her. She was curled up on the bed, still crying. He began, "Beverly - "

"No, Jean-Luc! I will not tell him! I can't."

"But - "

"It would make his whole life a lie. I won't do that to my son, or to the memory of my husband. Please try to understand."

"All right," conceded Picard. He got up, and dejectedly left the room.

Beverly finally uncurled herself and sat up. "Jean-Luc, are you all right?"

"Fine," he responded, then came back into the room. "Why would they only take us, instead of myself and Commander Riker? I understand why they would play mind games with us, but why me and you?"

Beverly looked up, the stains of her tears on her cheeks. "Jean-Luc, before this happened, I... felt... something. I didn't know what it was, I couldn't stop it. I'm responsible for us being here."

Picard sat next to her on the bed. "What?" He sounded concerned, not angry as she'd expected him to.

"I heard a voice in my head, asking me what I thought was the most important thing to Humans. I answered for myself, instead of for all of us, and this is the result.” Beverly paused for breath. "I smiled to myself and replied 'Love'."

Picard was smiling with the knowledge. "And that's when we were taken?"

"Yes. Jean-Luc, I'm sorry. When I said it, I... I thought of you. For years I've tried to get this OUT, to confess all this, but I've managed to keep it in for fear of embarrassing you." She smiled weakly, and Picard laughed out loud. "I think this qualifies as embarrassing, Doctor, don't you?"

"Yeah." She wasn't looking at him. "Do you think they're watching us?"

"No." His answer surprised her. "Why not?"

"They're altruists, that's what I felt when the ship was stopped. They think they're doing us a favour."

"This is for our own good? Even forcing me to admit something I'd had no intention of ever saying?"

"Yes."

"Jean-Luc, I'm..." and Beverly didn't get any further because Picard leaned forward and kissed her. Beverly was siezed by the impulse to get this OVER with, one way or the other. The fact that Jean-Luc was kissing her was secondary. She just wanted to know what was going on. Why kiss her now, why start something now, when they had denied the happenings of that one day for seventeen years? When Picard finally let go of her, she asked, "What was that for?"

"I've wanted to do that for a long time," he smiled at her. "I remember."

"Jean-Luc, are you..."

"We're here, and we know why."

"Aliens did this...we would never have thought of it otherwise... it was over seventeen years ago!" she protested.

He was having none of it. "Aliens were the catalysts, but it's been inside us waiting for the right time. Long ago, the time was wrong. But no longer. I want you here, now, Beverly." Picard could hardly believe what he was saying, but he knew it was right. Those aliens had helped, even if they'd gone about it in a bit of a blundering fashion.

Crusher was stunned when he said it, as well. "That doesn't sound like you, Jean-Luc."

"It's me... " he tilted her chin up so that she was looking at him. "I never let myself think of you like that; you were my best friend's wife... but things have changed. I'm not always the perfect... officer."

Beverly listened, knowing that he was being truthful. "All along... I believe it, it's just so... surprising!"

"Be surprised," Picard said, and kissed her again. The doctor welded herself to him and couldn't let go.

She didn't let go even when he removed her uniform, when he lay her gently down on the bed, and when she finally realised there were aspects to Picard she'd never known about.

And the captain, too, lost himself in the here and now, and didn't think about his ship or his career, or any of that. He looked down at Beverly, into her eyes, and forgot everything else.

The aliens, who had been watching discreetly despite what Picard thought, were happy for the little humanoids, and disconnected themselves from the now, releasing the ship and returning two of its officers to it. *They will be happy now,* one predicted.

*Yes.*

It didn't matter where the little farmhouse had been, that simply vanished. Picard and Crusher would awake to find themselves on their ship, though in a compromising position...

Picard was the first to awaken. They were in his quarters, though at first he didn't realise it. Beverly Crusher lay curled up next to him, her arms around his waist. Picard smiled to himself, remembering the night before, and silently thanking the altruistic aliens from the bottom of his heart. 'I love her,' he thought.

Beverly made waking noises and snuggled closer, yawning. "Jean-Luc?"

"Yes."

"Thank you."

He wasn't looking at her, facing the other way. "What for?"

"Everything. You gave me everything, you gave me yourself. I do love you." She said it as if trying to convince herself of its truth - which maybe she was.

"And I, you." Picard turned around to look down at her. "My only regret is..."

"Please don't say it. That was my decision when he was born. I'm not going to change it."

"All right." He kissed her again...

... and Riker burst in. "Captain! Are you...." He stopped. Looked shocked. Then smiled. Smirked, actually. "Oh. Ah, I guess this can wait." 

When he went out the door, the captain and doctor burst out laughing. It released the tension, and made them both feel one hundred percent better.

"Marry me," Picard said, on the spur of the moment, looking into those blue eyes, waiting for confirmation.

"Okay..." said Crusher slowly. "Why not."

***

Later, once they were dressed and ready for the day, they discussed the aliens in the observation lounge.

Deanna Troi now understood what she had felt from them. "They were profoundly interested in us. They wanted to help. It seems they chose two of the people whom they thought needed help the most."

"Us?" from Beverly.

"What you described would seem like a typical thing to do if the aliens wished you to admit to some things you'd kept inside youself," said Troi calmly.

"And when they'd helped us, or so they thought, they put us back."

"Yes."

"So, we just leave it at that?" asked Riker. He hated being manipulated, especially by aliens.

“I don't see that we can do much else, Number One," answered Picard. "Right, that will be all."

Everyone filed out, except the doctor, who remained. She ambled over to Jean-Luc and put her arms around him tightly. "You still want to go through with it?"

"Why not," Picard said, quoting her.

So it was done. The ceremony - or what passed for one, so quickly was it over - took place on the Holodeck of the Enterprise with the captain of another ship officiating. Picard could barely stand to be congratulated over and over by all his crew members - and Data, who was trying to tell some wedding joke and just couldn't get it right - but finally the Holodeck was quiet and only the two of them remained.

Beverly stood in front of the waterfall in awe. "It was beautiful, Jean-Luc."

He stood behind her, his arms around her. "Yes, it was." Then, "Computer, run Picard 5."

Around them, the scenery changed. All that remained were white, fluffy clouds in a deep blue sky. They were standing on one which was solid, and yet not. "It's... amazing!" was all she could think of to say.

"It is perfect for a wedding night, don't you agree?" Picard asked.

"Absolutely," responded his wife, drawing him to sit on the cloud next to her. "To make love in the sky... what will you think of next?"

There was a glint in his eye which made her suspect he'd think of many more locations, and every single one would be this beautiful. 

*** 

Ship's business was taking extraordinarily long today, and the captain was feeling tired. Riker had taken an Away Team down to begin contact with the inhabitants of Nerra VI, but everything seemed to be going smoothly, so Picard had stayed aboard and finished some work that had needed doing. Some crew reprimands, a commendation, two children to congratulate... it went on and on. Finally Picard looked up to see his ship's Counselor standing at the door.

"Yes, Counselor."

"Captain, you need to rest."

"Oh, please." It was exasperating when Deanna was right - as she was now. He'd been working for eighteen hours without a break, and did feel very, very fatigued. "Don't start," he said to Deanna, who merely gave him a "do as you're told or else" look, shrugged, and went out.

Jean-Luc turned off the viewer. He could always finish the paperwork (they still called it that even though paper wasn't used anymore) later.

Pulling down his uniform jacket in what his crew had come to call the "Picard maneuver" (though never when he was around of course), he left the bridge.

Picard went to their quarters and plunked down into a chair. Beverly strolled out of the bedroom still wearing her uniform, said, "Long day?"

"Long? I just wrote sixteen reports, signed about fifty, spoke to three different planetary diplomats, congratulated two five-year-olds on their grasp of the universe, and you ask, was it a long day?" His face broke into a smile - that mischievous smile he sometimes wore when seriousness just was not called for.

She looked at him, went to the replicator, ordered the appropriate beverages, handed one to him, and then sat down next to him. "I heard from Wesley today."

Picard's interest immediately perked up.

"He's in charge of his first Away Team next week... a routine survey of Janus VI... they still use it because of the unusual life-forms, you know..."

"Hmm..." murmured Picard.

"And since the Hortas don't mind... Anyway, he sent his love."

Pride. It was always the first thing Jean-Luc felt when he thought of Wesley. Wesley had once told him that everything he'd done had been to make his captain proud of him. And Picard had responded, "I was always proud of you, Wesley." He still was. Would always be. 

So now he looked at Beverly and said, "Good. Perhaps he will get a chance to visit soon. We haven't seen him for months."

"And there've been some changes since then," she said, laughing.

Picard kissed her. "Most changes are for the better. Now get rid of that uniform."

"I'll take mine off if you take yours off," she challenged.

"Or..." came the voice of the Picard who'd lost that reserve most people associated with him, "I'll take yours off if you take mine off."

"An interesting proposition..." she said, ducking into the bedroom. He dashed in after her, and just as the door closed she concluded, "...Captain!"

***

Wesley's Away Team went so well that the Academy staff allowed the cadets three weeks off. Wesley Crusher immediately packed and caught the nearest shuttle going in the direction of the Enterprise.

He had not visited his mother since that startling message he'd received about her marrying the captain. He had not been sure whether to be happy, sad, or indifferent.   
He'd always known his mother loved the captain, but he hadn't been sure if her feelings were returned. He was glad they had been; he loved Picard as well. 'I never did know my father,' he thought, 'so I was glad you were there for me, Captain. I did it all for you. I just hope you make Mom happy.'

But he knew that was obvious the minute he beamed aboard and found both the captain and his mother waiting for him, looking nervous. 

He stepped off the platform, not knowing who to greet first. Finally he overcame the hesitation, stepped forward and said, "Captain. Mom."

"Wesley!" Beverly hugged her son tightly, then let him go. "I can't believe it! Look at him, Jean-Luc."

But Jean-Luc was looking. He was thinking of all the missed opportunities with this child, and how he could make that up to him. Wesley Crusher was probably the only child - teenager - he'd even gotten along with. Wesley held his hand out. "Congratulations, Sir."

Picard shook it firmly, then hugged Wesley on impulse. Wesley was facing Chief O'Brien, and noticed how O'Brien suddenly seemed to find it necessary to inspect the far - blank - wall. And he smiled to himself.

***

The visit lasted eight days, and Wesley thoroughly enjoyed being home. He stayed in guest quarters, so he did not get to see much of Picard and his mother in an informal situation. Jean-Luc Picard, in the way typical of him, tended to get all stiff and formal when he was around Wesley. And more so than ever, now that he had returned. Wesley was beginning to think that something was up, so he invited himself over to their cabin late one night to find out just what was going on.

When he walked in, they were in the other room. Neither had heard him call, or enter. They were having a most intense conversation, and though the young cadet did not mean to eavesdrop, he did of course.

"Are you serious?" Picard was saying.

"Absolutely, Jean-Luc. I ran the test twice, and Selar ran it again for me. It's positive." Wesley could tell by the sound of her voice that his mother was smiling.

"A... ah... a baby?"

"A baby," she affirmed.

"But..."

"I know, we never discussed having more children. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to spring it on you like this, I guess..."

"Don't tell me - you forgot," said Picard, forestalling her. He'd heard that excuse from just about every member of his crew and knew when they were leading up to it.

"Yeah," said Beverly, admitting defeat. "But don't you dare say you aren't happy."

"I never had the opportunity to think about it. I feel... stunned. I expect happiness will take over soon."

Wesley stood outside, as stunned as they were. Another baby Crusher, ah, Picard? He just stood there, until finally he heard his mother's voice. "Wes?"

"Hi, Mom. I called, but... I'm sorry, I..."

"You heard our conversation?" asked Picard, always the direct one, in control.

"Sir, I... yes. I'm sorry.”

"You have as much right to know as anybody - more, actually."

"Happy, Wes?" asked his mother.

He managed to smile. "Yes." And he meant it, too. "A half-brother or sister. I always wanted a little sister..." he went on wistfully.

When he said that, Picard looked hard at Beverly. Who shook her head. "I'm happy, Mom. Captain."

Beverly hugged her son, and Picard looked on, happy about a new child, but knowing that, as far as the other one went, that was never meant for Wesley to know.

It was very late when Picard returned to bed, having been doing some quick checks on the bridge. Beverly had seen Wesley off earlier. Now she smiled. As Picard got into the bed, she asked, "You ARE happy, aren't you?"

"Yes." Pause. Then he smiled that special smile again. "And to think I once didn't get on with children!"

She snuggled into his arms, smiling in the dark. "You've had plenty of practice."

Picard said nothing to that, but Beverly could feel him smiling too.

THE END


End file.
